Jiang Lingwan, clutching a coconut, dashed onto the boat and barged into the cabin, momentarily stunned.
The black-canopied boat was neither too large nor too small, accommodating only three or four people. From the outside, it appeared quite ordinary, yet unexpectedly, the interior was a hidden gem, decorated with understated luxury.
The set of pea-green jade tea ware was carved from authentic Hetian jade, and the small tea table holding the set was made of golden nanmu wood.
Jiang Lingwan’s mother was a master jade carver who operated several jade shops. Having grown up surrounded by such craftsmanship, Jiang Lingwan naturally knew that Hetian jade of such quality and size was typically carved into auspicious patterns and displayed or preserved as a family heirloom.
To carve it into tea ware like this—if it were accidentally broken, it would be lost forever—was nothing short of a waste of precious resources.
Jiang Lingwan didn’t know the exact price of golden nanmu wood, but it was said to be worth its weight in gold, difficult to buy even with money, and extremely rare.
The incense burning in the boat was something she could identify—it was top-grade agarwood.
In her previous life, her master, Shezheng Wang, suffered from sleepless nights, and it was she who prepared calming incense for him using agarwood as the main ingredient. Thus, she knew this incense was precious and far from ordinary.
Even the small calligraphy and paintings hanging on the cabin walls were authentic works by renowned masters from the previous dynasty, priceless treasures.
Of course, these were not the real reasons for her stunned silence. What truly made her freeze was the person inside the boat—or more precisely, the young, handsome man seated in the main position.
To be honest, Jiang Lingwan had seen many men with outstanding looks. Setting others aside, her ex-husband, Ning Xuan, one of the Four Gentlemen of the capital, was a handsome, elegant, and graceful man.
Yet, she had never seen anyone more exquisite and handsome than the man before her—not just among men, but even among women, none could compare to his beauty.
He appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a fair, jade-like complexion. His sword-like eyebrows were as dark as ink, his starry eyes dazzling, his nose straight and well-defined, and his lips—neither too thick nor too thin—were slightly pursed.
Such features often gave an impression of coldness, aloofness, and inapproachability, but he surprisingly had a pair of peach blossom eyes with long, curved lashes and slight pouches beneath them.
If such eyes were on an ordinary-looking man, they might give off an impression of frivolity, ambiguity, and a lack of masculine dignity.
But with his outstanding looks and sword-like eyebrows, the combination of strength and softness in his features complemented each other perfectly. It lent him an air of both heroic elegance and refined charm. This wonderful combination created what could be described as the finest appearance in the world.
If one word were to describe Jiang Lingwan’s first impression of him, it would be “breathtaking.” Beyond that, she could think of no other term.
He sat there casually with an indescribable grace. The items in the cabin were extremely valuable, yet with someone like him present, it felt as though even the most precious things were merely for his use. Those objects that others might boast about and take pride in were, to him, simply objects.
In truth, Jiang Lingwan was quite beautiful herself, but at this moment, faced with such a stunning man, she suddenly felt a sense of inadequacy and embarrassment.
It seemed as though she had done something wrong, that she shouldn’t have appeared here and disturbed his peace—like a drop of ink suddenly falling and staining a precious, beautiful painting.
However, this thought vanished from her mind almost as quickly as it had appeared.
She touched the coconut in her arms, feeling that nothing else mattered as much as it did.
“Sit.” The young man gestured for her to take a seat.
He was concise, uttering only a single word, yet his voice was deep, resonant, and magnetic, sending a tingling sensation through the listener’s ears. Had he spoken more, it would surely have been intoxicating.
But he was sparing, saying nothing after that one word. The pleasant voice vanished, and Jiang Lingwan, coming to her senses, sat down with proper composure, first offering an apology: “I saw this boat moored by the shore and thought it was a passenger ferry. I intended to pay for a ride to the opposite bank, but after coming aboard, I realized my mistake. I apologize for disturbing you, sir.”
Qingfeng, rowing the boat, pricked up his ears and thought to himself, Hah! What ‘passenger ferry’? You clearly stole something, got caught, and fled in panic, stumbling onto our boat. A young girl like you, lying without so much as a blush or a racing heart.
“No matter,” the young man said, lifting his gaze to look at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I was already moored here and often take on passengers. Just treat me as a ferryman. When we reach the shore, you can pay the fare as usual.”
Huh! Clearly, it was you, Master, who deliberately startled her into boarding the boat. Qingfeng mused. Master, your skill at speaking falsehoods with a straight face is nothing to scoff at either.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lingwan breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him with a smile. “In that case, thank you, sir. I won’t shortchange you on the fare.”
“Mmm.” The young man gave a slight nod and casually asked, “Are you from Pengdao Yaotai?”
Jiang Lingwan relaxed, nodding openly and gracefully. “Yes.”
Without waiting for further questions, she proactively explained, “My master is the owner of Pengdao Yaotai. Since the coconuts have ripened, I was sent by him to pick them.”
As she spoke, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, looking somewhat embarrassed. “That tree was quite tall, and I had a hard time picking them.”
This was her explanation for why her clothes were disheveled and her hair was in disarray.
Well, I’ve said it all. There’s nothing left for you to ask, right?
Pah! Lies! Qingfeng inwardly scoffed. My master doesn’t even know you. When did he ever ask you to pick coconuts?
Little girl, don’t you know your lies have already been seen through?
“So that’s how it is.” The young man smiled gently, not exposing Jiang Lingwan’s deception. Instead, he poured her a cup of tea. “Have some tea to moisten your throat.”
Jiang Lingwan didn’t decline, calmly picking up the tea to drink. She had only taken a sip, not yet swallowed, when his next question came.
“Since you’re from Pengdao Yaotai, you must know the name of the island’s owner?”
Jiang Lingwan unhurriedly set down the teacup and replied with a light laugh, “Yes, my master is known as Mr. Shuimu, the renowned head of the Nanbei Trading Company.”
She decided to turn the tables. “I see you’ve moored your boat beside Pengdao Yaotai, so you must be acquainted with my master. May I ask your name, sir? Although I haven’t met you before, I might have heard of your esteemed name from my master.”
Qingfeng glanced at Jiang Lingwan, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head. My master’s name, if spoken, would probably scare you to death!
My master is Fifth Master Xiao of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion, nephew of Consort Shu, study companion of the Fourth Prince—the renowned Xiao Zhan, known throughout the capital as Fifth Master Xiao.
He also goes by the alias Mr. Shuimu, founded the Nanbei Trading Company, and oversees the trade of the Great Qi’s foremost commercial enterprise.
Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts and possessed of literary elegance, but his appearance was also first-rate. He had abundant wealth and came from a family of considerable power and influence.
You lied right in front of the person himself, claiming to be a follower of Mr. Shuimu, yet you didn’t even realize you’d been seen through.
Hah, scared now, aren’t you!
The young gentleman, who was none other than Mr. Shuimu himself—a man named Xiao Zhan—acted as though he were unaware of Jiang Lingwan’s lie. With a slight smile, he replied, “My surname is Xiao, and my given name is Longqing. I am the eldest in my family, so you may call me Xiao Longqing or Xiao Dalang.”
Jiang Lingwan felt that addressing someone as “Dalang” upon their first meeting was overly intimate, so she said, “Then I’ll call you Young Master Xiao.”
Xiao Zhan nodded. “Very well.”
In such situations, it was customary for Xiao Zhan to ask for Jiang Lingwan’s name in return—after all, exchanging names was part of mutual introduction.
Thus, Jiang Lingwan remained silent, waiting for him to ask.
To her surprise, after a long wait, he still hadn’t spoken. For a moment, the two sat facing each other in silence, the atmosphere growing strangely quiet.
Just as Jiang Lingwan was about to say something to ease the awkwardness, Xiao Zhan spoke up: “There is a wooden latch on the inner wall of the cabin to your left. Pull it open, and you can push the window ajar to enjoy the view of the lake.”
In her previous life, Jiang Lingwan had served under Shezheng Wang. Before assisting the Liao King in ascending the throne, Shezheng Wang had lived on Pengdao Yaotai under the pseudonym Mr. Shuimu.
Later, after becoming Shezheng Wang, he would retreat here every summer to escape the heat. Jiang Lingwan, responsible for his daily needs and internal affairs, naturally had the privilege of accompanying him.
While the scenery of Dabo Lake might have been a rare sight to others, it held no novelty for Jiang Lingwan.
Nevertheless, she followed his suggestion and opened the window—this way, she wouldn’t have to speak with him or endure the awkwardness.
Her eyes gazed at the lake, but her heart had already flown back home.
In her arms was a fruit called the Double Moon Coconut. Before the fall of the previous dynasty, the emperor had been fond of this fruit and ordered it to be cultivated in various places.
Due to unsuitable climate and soil, it was difficult to grow, and great effort had been expended to nurture just two plants. One had been in the palace but died from neglect. The other was the very tree on Pengdao Yaotai.
In her previous life, she had learned from a book titled Medicinal Cuisine Treasures that although the Double Moon Coconut had a mild flavor, it possessed medicinal properties and was remarkably effective in treating lung diseases.
Back then, upon seeing the Double Moon Coconut on Pengdao Yaotai and noting that its shape, coconut, fruit, and taste perfectly matched the description in Medicinal Cuisine Treasures, she had picked the fruit for medicinal use and achieved immediate results.
Her grandfather had suffered from a lung disease. In her past life, she had spent a fortune to obtain a small amount of dried Double Moon Coconut preserves from a traveling merchant, which ultimately saved her grandfather’s life.
In this life, with this coconut in hand and by purchasing the preserves from that same merchant, she could pressure her father into agreeing to let her mother leave.
This coconut was truly a blessing, yet it was only through her master that she had fortuitously learned of its existence here. Once this matter was settled, she ought to present herself before her master sooner and pledge her allegiance to him.
Though she tried to restrain herself, a hint of joy still surfaced, and her hands couldn’t help but caress the coconut.
Xiao Zhan remained calm and composed, yet a flicker of something unusual gleamed in his eyes.
The boat cabin was quiet, with no sound. Qingfeng couldn’t resist craning his neck to peek inside. He saw his master feigning sleep with closed eyes, his jade-like fingers occasionally tapping lightly on the tea table, looking utterly relaxed and at ease.
Across from the master, the young girl held a coconut in one arm while gently stroking it with the other, her expression a mix of joy, affection, and cherishment.
Qingfeng couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. What was this supposed to mean—celebrating the birth of a precious son?
Soon, the boat docked. Jiang Lingwan stood up and smiled as she expressed her gratitude. “Thank you for giving me a ride. As for the fare…”
“Ten taels,” Xiao Zhan replied with a gentle smile, his refined and handsome face etched with nonchalance, as if he had merely tossed out the number casually.
Ten taels?
Jiang Lingwan was taken aback.
An ordinary black-canopied boat would cost no more than twenty taels of silver.
He had only given her a ride, yet he demanded ten taels.
What an outrageous price!
But this Master Xiao was so wealthy and elegant—perhaps he was someone who knew nothing of the hardships of ordinary life. To him, ten taels might not even be enough to tip a servant. Moreover, she had just drunk his tea. That single sip of tea alone might have been worth more than ten taels.
If only she hadn’t drunk the tea, Jiang Lingwan thought with a pang of regret.
“Alright, ten taels it is,” Jiang Lingwan agreed readily, smiling as she reached for her purse, only to find it empty.
Oh no!
All her money was with Zhuzhi. She didn’t have a single coin on her.
“Heh, heh, heh, hehehehe.”
Jiang Lingwan looked up, meeting Master Xiao’s gaze, and let out a few awkward laughs.